FTSE 100 Lower: Endeavour Mining, Fresnillo Shares Fall

London’s blue-chip index slipped on Friday morning, with the FTSE 100 down 0.6% and on course to close the week with a loss of a similar magnitude.

The FTSE 250 also edged lower, falling 0.2%. European peers in Germany and France were absent from trading, with both markets closed a public holiday.

Rising oil prices added to the cautious mood after US President Donald Trump doubled down on the naval blockade of Iranian ports. With diplomacy between Washington and Tehran showing no meaningful progress, energy markets responded to the heightened geopolitical tension.

Among the top gainers, Pearson led the way with a 3.5% rise after the education company delivered a robust first-quarter 2026 trading update, reporting a 4% increase in underlying group sales and reinforcing its full-year guidance.

Metlen Energy & Metals climbed 2.7%, while Whitbread added 2.3%.

At the foot of the leaderboard, precious metals miners bore the brunt of selling pressure as gold and silver prices traded lower. Endeavour Mining fell 5.8%, while Fresnillo declined 3.6%, both weighed down by weakness in commodity prices.

NatWest shares also came under pressure, dropping 4% despite a solid first-quarter 2026 update. The bank reported a rise in profit and lifted guidance, now expecting income excluding notable items to land at the top end of its previously guided range of £17.2–17.6 billion, while reaffirming the broader outlook provided at its full-year 2025 results.